Water softening apparatus



1957 L. ca. LINDSAY .WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1953 .w K A r Wu.

Jan. 22, 1957 a. LINDSAY WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS Filed July 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O WATER SOFTENING. ABPARATUS;

Lynn G. Lindsay, St; Paul, Minn., assignor to The Lindsay (-Iompany, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application: July 17, 1953,; SerialN .6M

7" Claims. (31. 210-2 4 This invention relates; to water softening apparatus of the type wherein the water to be softened is passed through a body' of softening material which" requires periodic regeneration and has for an object to provide apparatus; of this class having. semi-automatic.- valves and timing mechanism including manual controls for initiating and. selecting independently one of the other suitable periods for regenerating the softening material and for flushing it and means for automatically returning the apparatus to water softening operationat theend of the flushing period;

A particular object is to provide for Water softening apparatus of the class described, improved regenerating, flushing and control means comprising a plurality of semi-automatic'tirne control valves adapted to beseverally set to initiate the regenerating andflushing operations and whereby the regenerating operation; is automatically terminated at a controlled. timeprior to the termination of the flushing operation and return of theapparatus to softening operation automatically.

A further object is tOIPI'O'VidElII apparatus of the class described; orifice devices which are so arranged as-to cause the mixing of concentrated brine from the brine tank with correct proportipns of clear; water during regeneration and to, regulate the rate of flow; of the resulting dilute brine. and flushing water to; the drain outlet after these liquids have passed throughthe; softening material.

therr objects. will appear and be more fully pointed out the following specification and claims:

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illus trate, by way oi example and not for the purpose of limitation, a preferred embodiment of' my invention:

Figure 1 is. a perspective viewshowing my" improved water softening apparatus;

. Fig 2 is a, part vertical sectional} view and part elevatti'oualview showing the first semi-automatic time control valf'vc and'adjacent valve rn'echanismfa'nd" conduits;

' liig, 3is a fragmentary vertical sectional view" through the second time control" valve; 7

4" is a perspective view showing the second time control valve andconnecting conduits;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showingpa-r ticularly the latch mechanism for one of the semi-automan-0.0mm values; and .i e

Fige'o is a longitudinal' sectional View through one: of

'the': automatioflow. regulating. devices: taken. on the; lin

6+6 of 3a. Inv the drawings the numeral: 7'. indicates a tank cola;- taming-"granular: zeolite oruother Water. so tening mater iia lt through which; the to; be; seamed. mediated and the numeral .85 indicates a; tank containiao common salt or othen' regenerating matetial. These. tain sto eflf the pressure: type, provided with top manholes an h vin cove-no therefier tindicated at. 7:01.. and 812. rie pecfii e rysz and suitable: clamps; reiholdingthe covers clos d and sealed relation to the respective tanksr. W'QIQ i o :be 'sottened is. suppliedunder" pressure through a. pipe. 9 and softened water. is delivered from the so itaaea t ro h a ice pipe 1*01 extending to the service outlets. The. spent brine and flush; water may bedischarged through a Waste pipe 12 or other waste outlet or hose. Suitable conduits. are also: provided for circulating water from the pipe 9 through the: tank' 7 to. the. service pipe 10 and for circuletting" the liquid successively through. the tanks 8 and". 7 to the.- waste pipe. 12: during regenerating and flushing under control of a. plurality of semi-automatic valves indicated. generally by thev numerals 13: and. 14. These valves-hereinafter refevred toi as th'efirst' and second semiautomatic valves respectively are preferably ofi the: multiple port tworway type. Thev ports of the valve 13 are respectively a hard water port 571 connected to the. supply pipe 9, a conduit 15 forming an; upper bni ne. tank. port extending to the upperportion of"v the tank 8, a lower bnine'tank port-'63 communicating with a conduit 16 extendingcto; the; lower portion of the tank 8- and an outlet port 5.8. communicating with a conduit 17 extending to a valve" 18inormally. connecting the conduit 17 to. the upper portion of the tank 7..

As shown in Fig. 2, the valverlfi has a port 19 communicating with. the conduit 17; a secondi port 20 conm'ected by a conduit 21' with the upper portion of the tan-1c 7:, a: third port 22 communicating with the digairb pipe 12,. aport' 24.? connected; by a pipe 25 tothe valve t4 and" a port- 26" connected by a; pipe: 2'7" to:- thevalive 14. The valve 18 has ahandle 28 operatively connected to. a head- 29;. By operating. the handle 28, the head 291mm! be closed-against aseat 3.0. or against aseat 31!. The seat: wisaformedi on an end of a. tubular member tiormed with passages in continuous communication withthe port 22;- A similar--'tubular member is shown: in section in Fig. 5: and is hereinafter; described During. the water softening, regenerating and flushing operations the 'head 29! is; in closed position against: the. seat 3flz-so. that. cornmiunication is. established? between the; ports 19. and; 20- and dir Communication between thepor-ts: 2L0) and 22 is cut off by the head 29:.

As shown-in detaikin Figs. 2 and 5,. the valve 14 constitiutin-g the. secondsemiautomatic: valve, has a service port; 32- coinmfllnicating with the. service pipe 10 anda-port 323} which is in continuous communication with a: conduit extending to; the, lower portion ofthe" tank 7'-. P rt; 33' may be. reflerred. to? as; thesecond port of valve 14.; Annutar seats 33 and 36. are formed'in the Qafi gxQfi valve; 14 at; opposite sides of the. port 33 for e gagement with a valve head 3.7 whi1ch is. mounted on a s tem,. 3.8 and adapted to; be actuated to; close selectively againseeitherthe seat 35 or seat: 36. Thestem 38 is movable -l.ougi: udinal-1y-- in a bearing 39 inthe; valve 14 and has rig-idly fixed; on its outer end-a head 40. As h wn-in Big. 5,. theseat 35.,- is. formed! on an end of a tub larruember'projecti g from; the hearing 39 and? this tubular member is formed with PassagesfSZ. communicating with av chamber 83.. Confined between the'head 4.0 and the hearing 391i's. a spring 4:1. arranged to bias the head toward: clo ed. positi n against: he seat A manually operable plunger 42 is mounted in. aarialt continuation of the valvev stem. 38;. and: is torn-led: with a recess.- in; its: inner end to receive. and confine a coiled spring 43.; which projects; to. engage the outer end? of the head: 4!); This spring 43 is stiffer-than the spring 41 and is.. designed to permit limited inward; movementof t he plunger 4.2 after the head-37. has been closed against the seat. 36.

Latch andtimi-ng devices for the valve 14- are mounted in a housing 4.4.- whiich is carried byan extensionof; the casing for valve 14, the housing being formed with a cy-lindricaltend portion 45, fitting v the; valve casing-and held in place. by suitable v set. screws. The latch. and timing devices shown h rein. are. more u lvd cribed andclaimed in the application, of Lynn- G. Lindsay Serial 3 No. 210,273, filed February 6, 1951, now United States Patent No. 2,689,986. The plunger 52 projects through an opening in a member 46 of the housing 44 and is provided with a suitable knob adapted to be manipulated to set the head 37 in its closed position against the seat 36.

An annular shoulder 47 extends radially on the plunger 42 for engagement with a latch member indicated generally by the numeral 48. This latch member is movable substantially radially of the plunger, to and from engagement with the shoulder 47 and is guided between radially extending surfaces formed in the housing 44, which surfaces are substantially perpendicular to the axis and direction of movement of the plunger 42. Anti-friction rollers 49 are carried by the latch member 48 to make rolling contact with the shoulder 47 and radial guide surfaces of the housing.

As more fully described in my United States Patent -No. 2,689,066 above referred to, the timing mechanism is of the spring actuated clock type having a cam disposed to release the latch member 43 so that it is retracted out of the path of the plunger 42 at the end of a period of time which is determined by the setting of a knob 50 in relation to a graduated dial 51 on the front face of the housing 44. The knob 56 is fixed on an end of a spindle 52 and is operatively connected to the main spring of the clock mechanism. Thus the clock spring may be wound by turning the knob h clockwise. The dial 51 is graduated to indicate the period of time in minutes during which the valve mechanism is to be held in predetermined position. When the pointer carried by the knob 50 has been set manually for a selected period, the clock mechanism turns the spindle 52 in counterclockwise direction and returns the pointer to the starting or zero position at a uniform, predetermined rate. At or near the end of the selected period, the clock operated mechanism releases the latch member 40 so that it is retracted from engagement with the shoulder 47 on the plunger 42. The spring 41 is thereby released and operates to move the head 37 away from the seat 36 and to closed position against the seat 35.

A similar clock operated control and manually operable setting mechanism therefor is provided for the valve 13. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, this valve has a manually operable plunger 53 which is connected to a head 54 and is spring biased so that the head is normally closed against an annular seat 55. This seat is formed on an end of a tubular member 73 formed with radial passages communicating with a chamber 73. An oppositely disposed seat 56 is provided for the head 54 which is adapted to be manually set in closed relation to the seat 56. When in its normal position the head 54 opens communication between the port 57 communicating with the pipe 9 and port 58 communicating with the pipe 17.

Projecting from and in axial alignment with the head 54 is a pin 59 adapted to actuate a third valve 60 to open position. This valve is biased toward closed relation to a seat 61 by a spring 62 and a port 63 communicates with the conduit 16 at one side of the valve 60 so that communication between the port 63 and port 58 is cut oil when the valve 60 is in one position and is opened when the valve is in a second position.

Formed in the casing of the valve 13 is a passage 64 extending to an orifice device 65 of the automatic pressure responsive type and a passage 66 connecting the outlet of the orifice device to the port 58. This orifice device is designed to maintain a substantially uniform predetermined rate of flow or" Water through the passage 66 during regeneration and flushing irrespective of the pressure of the water in the port 57. As best shown in Fig. 6, the orifice device 65 comprises a rigid cylindrical member 67 containing a core 68 of soft rubber or like compressible material having an axial passage 69 for liquid which communicates at one end with the passage 64 and at the other end with an annular chamber 70.

This chamber is separated from the chamber 64- by a suitable sealing ring 71. Increases in pressure cause approximately proportional compression of the core 68 and corresponding restriction of the axial passage 69. The chamber 70 is in communication with the passage 66 so that during regeneration Water will flow at a con: trolled rate, determined by the size of the axial passage 69, from the pipe 9 to the port 58 and pipe 17.

A second orifice device indicated generally by the numeral 72 (Fig. 3) is provided to control the flow from a chamber "/3 in the casing for the valve 13 to the conduit 15 communicating with the upper portion of the brine tank 8. This device 72 is like the orifice device 65, and has an axial passage in its compressible core of such diameter as to permit flow of water to the upper portion of the tank during regeneration at a desirable rate which is predetermined to cause flow of concentrated brine from the tank 8 in proper proportion to the flow of clear water through the device 65. Thus when the head 54 of the valve is closed at its seat 56 water flows past the seat 55 to the interior of a tubular valve member 74, thence through passages '75 to the chamber 73 which is separated from the port 58 by a sealing ring 76.

A semi-automatic time control device is provided for the valve 13 which is a duplicate of that hereinbefore described for the valve 14. As shown in Fig. l, the valve 13 is provided with a timer indicated generally by the numeral 77, having a manually operable knob 78 and pointer adapted to be set by reference to a dial '79 to determine the regenerating period independently of the flushing period.

Flow of water to waste from the valve 14 is under control of an orifice device Sll which is like the orifice devices 65 and 72, except for the size of the axial passage through the rubber core. The device 80 correlates the flow to waste to the setting of the timer for the valve 14 and is effective to secure efficient and complete regeneration and flushing out of the brine from the tank 7. During the flushing Water flows past the valve seat 35, through passages 81 and 82 (Fig. 5) to a waste outlet port 83,

thence through the orifice device 80 and conduit 25 to the port 24 and drain pipe 12.

Periodic backwashing of the bed of water softening material in the tank 7 is desirable with many installations. To provide for this, a manually operable needle valve 84 is disposed to control the passage of water from the port 26 to and through the pipe 27 to the port 32 in the valve 14. When the valve head 29 is closed at the seat 31 and the head 39 is closed at seat 35, hard water may be caused to flow to the lower portion of the softening tank by opening the needle valve 84. Service outlets connected to the conduit 10 are normally closed but if one of them should be opened during backwashing this would merely retard backwashing. To permit lowering of the level of liquid in the tank 8 when the latter is to be recharged with regenerating material, the conduit 16 is provided with a drain valve 85. Another manual valve 86 is provided in the hard water supply pipe 9, as shown in Fig. 1.

Operation My improved apparatus is ready for operation when the tank 7 contains a charge of water softening material, the tank 8 a charge of common salt or other regenerating material for the water softening material and the pipes 9, 10 and 12 are connected respectively to a source of water under pressure, to the service outlets and to a waste outlet. During the normal water softening operation the head 54 of the valve 13 is closed against its seat 55, the head 37 of the valve 14 is closed against its seat 35 and the head 29 of the valve 18 is closed against its seat 30. Water is thereby caused to flow from the pipe 9 through the port 57, chamber 58, conduit 17, valve 18, port 20 and conduit 21, into the top of the softener tank 7, thence downward through the softening material and out through the conduit 34, ports 33 and 32 to the service pipe During th operati nbrine from th ii is shutofi from theeontlui 1: by operatio ci-th valve 0 w ich c oses h passagebetween the pipes 16 and 17 thr ugh heportna nd chamber 58...

To egenera e and flush ut the brine. andhardenin deposited in. the softening bed, the operator merely actnatcs the. manual con ols of the valv s- .13 and 1 and sets he timing m chanism tor th periods-required respect ve y. or regenerafioaand flushing, The plungers 42ant15 a et rust inwardand the nobs 50 and 78 of the timecentrolsa e urned to suit b e positions with re eren e to the raduati ns a d le ends on therlials- Thu the plunger .53 thrustinward ocle e thevalve head 54 against i sseet 5.6. -.an.e1 th knob- 78is urned to wind the cloc me han sms f; thetimer 77 and set it to; he p riod requ red for re ener tion. The plunger 53 locked by its latch mechanism in his regeneratin positi ni- By imi r oner n f t e valve 14'. he hea 37 i seated a d les edia oeed pnsitionre eti-ve to th seat 36am th clock th casin 4-isset tor he tota pe iod ott ne requ red for regeneration an flush n F rexamnl the valve mo ar be set fiorar generatin n t-led at th rty minute and. the al e l t-t ra lon e reticent .t rtv tiveminutes other hv causeth flushing peration 1 to ontinue. for lit een nannies afiter the flow of brine from the tank 8 has been cut off by the operation of the timingmeehanism forthe: valve 13. With the timing control valves 13 and 14 set, as described for regeneration and flushing, water flows from the rice 9 throu h, port 57,. member 4. passages. #51 a ori i e-de ice .72 and conduit 1: to th pperportton ofisthe ank 8 hereby forcing bri "from the bottomaof tan throu h .the.con luit.. 6.= nert 63. hamber 58,

13'. ports 19 d. 2.9.915 valve .18 and conduit 21 nto he .upn rncrtion of 1. .1; The brinesocondusted nto-the .unnernortion of the tank 7 is; diluted to a e u rclled'idegree by water fromthenip 9 which flow thro gh the orificev device 65-, h xane- 66 and chamber 58 where the mixing of the concentrated brine and added water takes place. Orifice device 72 operates to properly proportion the concentrated brine to the water supplied through the device 65. The brine or other regenerating fluid passes downward through the body of water softening material in the tank 7 and out through the conduit 34, port 33, passages 81 and 82, chamber 83, orifice device 80, pipe and port 24 to drain pipe 12. This operation continues until the time control for the valve 13 releases the plunger 53 and allows the plunger spring to actuate the head 54 to closed position against the seat 55 and to close the valve 60, thereby cutting ofi the supply of water to the salt tank 8. Plush water now flows from pipe 9 through the port 57, past head 54, open seat 56 to chamber 58 and also through passage 64, orifice device 65, passage 66 to chamber 58, thence through conduit 17 to valve 18 and downward through the softening material in the tank 7, carrying out the brine and impurities through the conduit 34, port 33, passages 81, 82 and 83, orifice device 80, conduit 25 and port 24 to the waste pipe 12. This flushing operation continues until the clock control for the valve 14 releases the plunger 42 and allows the spring 41 to actuate the valve head 37 to closed position at the seat 35, thereby returning the softener to water softening operation automatically.

When the supply of salt in the tank 8 has been exhausted, the tank may be recharged through the manhole having the closure ca-p 8a. To shut off the supply of water to the tank 8 the valve 86 in the pipe 9 is closed and then the valve 85 may be opened and a quantity of water drawn off from the tank 8 suificient to allow space therein for the new charge of salt.

To backwash, assuming that the valve head 37 is closed at seat 35, the softening material in the tank 7, the stem 28 of the valve 18 is operated to close the head 29 against the seat 3.1 and the valve 84- isopened-to allow-wash water to flow through the conduits 17 and 2-! to theports 32- and 33 of the valve 14,. thence through pipe 342m; the lower portion of the tank 7, up through the bed of water softening-material and out through-conduit 2-1, sportv 202 and passages communicating :with the wastepipe 12. After a suitable period ofi'backwashing the valve84 isclosed and the head 29 of valve 18-is'returned to its normally closed osition at its seat 30, to thereby return the apparatusto water softening operation.

Unusua y thorough andefiicientregeneratingand fiushingtis obtained by reason of myeontrols comprising the independently operating, semi-automatic valves sevoral y controlling the durationot the flushing treatmen and totalregeneratiolr and'flushingtime. Myorifice devices regulate therateof flow to Wasteduring. regenerating and flushing periods and) also: the proportionsof concentrated brine toadded: water in the regenerating. fluid. Th manual setting: of controlsreqniresa minimum ofskill and. the servicing of the water softening; apparatus is further greatly facilitated by the provision, at a largesalt tank which: requires no attentiontor. long periods of time: p

Ins ea oi. the semi-automatic valve, control mechanism hereiu described in detail, other suitable time'controls may be provided. Examplesot suitable. substitutes for the pecifie controls described herein are: described and claimed in my Patents No.- 2,347,201;- Zia-47,202, 2,374,203, 2,347,204, 2,507,343,25511A45 and 2,625.1:66.

The present applicatiorb is a: continuationin-part of my application Serial N03 15,397,. vfiled March 17,1948,

Water So-fteningaApparatus which has"; be naba cloned.

Having desclib'edmy invention;;.what I claim as: new and desire: to protect by Letters Patent. is:

1. For water softeningapparatus havinga sofitener tank: audahrine tanks the" improved; control whichv comprises; a first semi-automatic valvehavi'ng an upper-brine tank port; at lower brine tank port, a; hardwa-ten port and an outlet port connected to said softening tank, a second semi-automatic valve having a service outlet port, a waste outlet port and a port connected to said softener tank, manually actuatable means for severally setting said valves in a first position to cause the flow of liquid from said hard water port through said valves and through said brine and softener tanks to the waste pipe for regenerating and flushing operations, means for actuating said valves to a second position to cause flow of liquid from said hard water port through said valves and through the softener tank to the service outlet port, and separate and independently operable time control means operatively connected to said first and second valves respectively and adapted to be manually set independently one of the other to terminate the regenerating and flushing operations respectively at selected different times and to initiate the softening operation automatically.

2. Water softening control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a third valve is operatively connected to said first valve and disposed to cut off the flow of regenerating material to said softener tank during the softening operation.

3. Water softening control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein an orifice device is disposed to control the rate of flow of concentrated regenerating fluid'from said brine tank to said first valve and another orifice device is disposed to control the addition of water to concentrated regenerating fluid flowing from said brine tank in predetermined proportions during the regenerating operation.

4. Water softening control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein an orifice device is disposed to control the flow of liquid to said waste outlet port during the regenerating and flushing operations, a second orifice device is disposed to control the rate of flow of concen- 'trated regenerating fluid from said brine tank to said 'first valve and a third orifice device is disposed to control the addition of water to concentrated regenerating *fluid flowing from said brine tank in predetermined proport, a waste outlet port and a port adapted to be connected to said softener tank, said valves being movable to a first position in which flow of liquid from said hard water port through said brine and softener tanks to said waste outlet port is established and being movable to a second position in which flow from said hard water supply port through the softener tank to said service outlet port is established, manually actuatable means for setting said semi-automatic valves in said first position, means severally biasing said valves toward said second position, separate and independently operable time control means each having a dial and a manually operable hand adapted to be set by reference to said dial, and means operatively connecting said time control means to said first and second valves resepctively whereby said valves may be actuated to said second position successively and at predetermined ditferent times as determined by the setting of the respective time control means.

6. A control in accordance with claim 5 wherein said means operatively connecting said time control means to the first and second valves respectively comprise; latches adapted to retain said valves in said first position against the action of said biasing means, said latches being operative to release said valves to said second position, and means operatively connecting said time control means to said latches whereby said latches are actuated at said predetermined selected times.

' 7. For water softening apparatus having a softener tank and a brine tank, an improved control comprising; a first semi-automatic valve having an upper brine tank port, a lower brine tank port, a hard water port and an outlet port, conduit means connecting said outlet port to a second semi-automatic valve and to one end of said softener tank respectively, a second semi-automatic valve having a service outlet port, a waste outlet, a second port connected to the opposite end of said softener tank, and an inlet port connected by said conduit means to the outlet port of said first semi-automatic valve, manually actnatable means controlling flow through said conduit means to said softener tank and to said inletport of the second valve and from the first mentioned end of the softener tank to said waste outlet, manual control means operatively connected to each of said semi-automatic valves to set them in a first position causing flow from said hard water port through said brine and softener tanks to said waste outlet for regenerating and flushing operations, said semi-automatic valves being movable to a second position to cause flow of liquid from said hard water port through the softener tank to the service pipe for Water softening operation, and separate and independently operable time control means severally connected to said semi-automatic valves and operative to terminate the regenerating and flushing operations respectively at predetermined different times.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,905,221 Dunkelberg Apr. 25, 1933 1,938,628 Huppertz Dec. 12, 1933 2,050,966 Eisenhauer Aug. 11, 1936 2,068,8l4 Mousley Jan. 26, 1937 2,102,856 Russell Dec. 21, 1937 2,347,201 Lindsay Apr. 25, 1944 2,545,425 Fischer Mar. 13, 1951 2,610,147 Lindsay Sept. 9, 1952 2,610,945 Purcell et a1 Sept. 16, 1952 

1. FOR WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS HAVING A SOFTENER TANK AND A BRINE TANK, THE IMPROVED CONTROL WHICH COMPRISES; A FIRST SEMI-AUTOMATIC VALVE HAVING AN UPPER BRINE TANK PORT, A LOWER BRINE TANK PORT, A HARD WATER PORT AND AN OUTLET PORT CONNECTED TO SAID SOFTENING TANK, A SECOND SEMI-AUTOMATIC VALVE HAVING A SERVICE OUTLET PORT, A WASTE OUTLET PORT AND A PORT CONNECTED TO SAID SOFTENER TANK, MANUALLY ACTUABLE MEANS FOR SEVERALLY SETTING SAID VALVES IN A FIRST POSITION TO CAUSE THE FLOW OF LIQUID FROM SAID HARD WATER PORT THROUGH SAID VALVES AND THROUGH SAID BRINE AND SOFTENER TANKS TO THE WASTE PIPE FOR REGENERATING AND FLUSHING OPERATIONS, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID VALVES TO A SECOND POSITION TO CAUSE FLOW OF LIQUID FROM SAID HARD WATER PORT THROUGH SAID VALVES AND THROUGH THE SOFTENER TANK TO THE SERVICE OUTLET PORT, AND SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLE TIME CONTROL MEANS OPERTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND VALVES RESPECTIVELY AND ADAPTED TO BE MANUALLY SET INDEPENDENTLY ONE OF THE OTHER TO TERMINATE THE REGENERATING AND FLUSHING OPERTIONS RESPECTIVELY AT SELECTED DIFFERENT TIMES AND TO INITIATE THE SOFTENING OPERATION AUTOMATICALLY. 